Repeat
by Primrue
Summary: If you could press repeat, would you? Fremione, one-shot.


Again.

A shaky breath. Disbelief in his eyes. Then, a smile.

"Hermione," he sighed. "Thank Merlin."

She stood still as he ran up to her but as soon as those arms were around her she burrowed her face into his chest and let the tears fall. He would mistake them as tears of happiness after months apart, relief and worry mixing into a weird blend that was impossible to stop. But those were tears of yesterday, a long time ago. Even if his weren't.

Again.

"Fred . . ." Hermione gently wiped the corner of his eye with her thumb.

"I was so worried," Fred said. "Not knowing . . .but then I heard about Gringotts and I knew, I knew—Hermione, I knew it had to be you. Brilliant, you are. Have I told you?"

 _Yes_.

"We need to get out of here," Hermione responded, fighting the false sense of security she felt when he cupped her cheek and pulled his forehead to hers, but closed her eyes nonetheless. "It's not safe."

"Nowhere is safer than with you." He'd closed his eyes too, she knew.

"I'm serious," she replied, but her words held none of the bite they used to.

"So am I."

"Are you quite done? There's a war going on!" Ron ran by, a grin on his face as he and Harry returned from the Chamber of Secrets. "The diadem and cup is done for, Hermione! We're winning!"

 _So close. . .We were so close. . ._

"That's incredible," Hermione replied, mustering up a small smile.

Again.

"Diadem? Cup?" Fred asked.

"I'll tell you about it later," Hermione promised. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back before interlacing their fingers. Together. They were together. But soon . . .

"Watch out! Death Eaters!"

Harry got hold of Ron and pulled him down as Fred—still holding her hand—guided Hermione aside to crouch behind a wall. The witch wrenched free and grit her teeth and called out the worst spells she could muster.

There was a satisfying thud and several cries of anguish and she couldn't bother to worry about the looks she knew she was given.

"Minister!" Percy shouted nearby. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

Behind her, Fred recovered and laughed. "He made a joke! Percy made a joke! I don't think he's made one since—"

Before the blast even happened, Hermione had erected every shield and protection spell she knew, hoping desperately that this time, _this bloody time_ , it would work.

"Fred! No!"

Ron was clawing at the rubble, the rubble that Hermione somehow always escaped without a scratch.

With a flick of her wand, Hermione had removed most of the rocks, and used it later to search for signs of life. But . . .

"Argh!"

Everything in her stopped. The circuits in her brain came to a screeching halt. How was this happening? This never happened, this had never ever happened before. Every single time, she was too late, every single time, no matter how much she tried, Fred Weasley would at this moment have taken his last breath.

"FRED!" she cried, forgetting everything and removing the last of the rubble with her bare hands, not caring if they turned bloody and raw. "FRED!"

She got to him and the cough he gave was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

"F-Fred," she sobbed. "You're . . .You. . ."

"Herm. . .ione," he said, weakly. "'uff. . ."

"What?" she asked, holding onto his hand while one of the others—she didn't know who—performed healing spells on him. "What is it? What do you want?"

". . .ou stop. . ."

"Fred, I don't understand. But perhaps you shouldn't talk. You got hit pretty badly and I—"

"Enough," Fred interrupted her. He forced her to look at him properly, his hand giving the faintest squeeze. "You've. . .enough."

Hermione's eyes widened as she realised what he was telling her.

"No."

"Yes," he insisted.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No—No, I won't. I can't!"

"Let. . .You've got to let me go."

"No!" She gave a hysterical cry and shook her head. "NO! How do you even know—I. . .I finally saved you."

His warm, brown eyes softened and the tenderness and love in them killed her. "I'll always be with you. Now let me go."

"This is beyond cruel," she said, holding his hand to her forehead. The urge to interlace their fingers was strong, but his strength was fading and there was an understanding at last that they'd never be together again.

"'Mione, you've got to let him go," said Ron from behind her.

"It's time, Hermione," added Harry.

And then . . .

.

.

.

Again.

A shaky breath. Disbelief in his eyes. Then, a smile.

"Hermione," he sighed. "Thank Merlin."

Hermione ran into his arms and held on tight.

"Fred."

Then she let go.

* * *

~o0o~

* * *

A/N: A sad little Fremione I got prompted with a few months ago. I was asked to write something to the song "Drive" by BOY. And this is what I came up with because apparently I love sadness?

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!  
/Primrue


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